US and Iran are talking in Qatar, but they won't actually look at each other
Imagine trying to negotiate a massive international peace deal, but you refuse to sit in the same room as the other guy. That is currently the vibe in Doha.
So, U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are in Qatar, trying to hammer out a cease-fire implementation with Iran. But because neither side wants to deal with the awkwardness of direct eye contact, they are doing this entire high-stakes geopolitical dance through Qatari intermediaries. Basically, the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, is playing the world's most stressed-out messenger boy, running between two hotel rooms.
The whole drama boils down to a classic "you first" standoff. Iran wants its frozen assets back and its oil flowing freely, while the U.S. insists that Iran has to actually start playing nice before getting any of that cash. Meanwhile, ships are slowly starting to creep back through the Strait of Hormuz—about 34 a day compared to the usual 100—proving that global trade is slowly waking up from its coma, even if Hezbollah hasn't officially signed up for the ceasefire yet.
It is truly a masterclass in diplomacy when the fate of global shipping depends on a game of telephone.
Source: The New York Times
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